Chickens in or out during this cold spell?

[Chicken Heel]

Chickens know how to be chickens better than we know how to be chickens.

Give them the choice and let them decide.

(Some wind blocks in the run are always a good idea anyway).

Letting chickens be chickens has been my philosophy for 55 years now and it has worked well for me thus far.

 

[azygous]

I agree most chickens will have the sense to come in out of the cold, but there can be one every so often that is obviously a dollar short of paying the tab.

I had a Black Cochin some years ago, named Morgan. She could have walked away with all the prizes at a poultry show, but she was too lazy to do much walking. One day, we had a very sudden violent hail storm. The chickens were all out free ranging. They ran for the covered run and I ran for the house.

Ten minutes later it was over, and I was hoping they all got under cover and had weathered the storm safely. I ran out to check on them, and Morgan was missing. As I was getting that tight knot in my stomach, I look up and here comes Morgan waddling across the yard, drenched to a form barely recognizable and in her usual no apparent hurry. She had likely casually stood in the open while the hail and rain pounded and drenched her without any ill effect other than ruining her "coif".

But when the weather is guaranteed to freeze hens teeth, I would be inclined to put them all inside and not risk having a Morgan in the flock who would be more likely than not to stand out there and freeze.

 

[Beaker99]

Sorry to piggyback, but if we expect them to hang out in the coop, should food and water be moved inside? I worry about a water spill...

 

[azygous]

Yes, of course, they need food and water more than anything.

Winter watering is a tricky issue. Over the years, I've tried all sorts of setups to address freezing and hauling water out to replace it and the very real danger of water spilling onto feet and causing freezing of tissue.

One of the most recent ways I've solved the water spillage issue is to use small black rubber dog bowls nestled in elevated stands, built them myself but you can buy them, and those go under the horizontal nipples on the large insulated five gallon Igloos. I empty the bowls at night so I don't have to remove solid ice in the morning. I carry a gallon plastic jug of hot water out in the morning and fill the rubber bowls so they have water in case the nipples have frozen, which they do in spite of the heating pads I have draped over them.

There is no danger of spillage and while I may need to replace the water in the rubber bowls mid-day if they freeze, it's not difficult.

Everyone seems to be anticipating the problems that can arise with this arctic forecast. I hope we all survive it. Yeah, I can hear you guys in Alaska, North Dakota, and Minnesota laughing at us.

 

[azygous]

 

[Ridgerunner]

The Siberian front moving through in the next day or so will drop temperatures into single digits F with strong gusty winds during the day.

When I was in Norhtwest Arkansas, one state across from you, the coldest I saw was -4 F (-20 C). I left the pop door open and let them decide what to do. They went outside if the wind was calm. If a cold wind were blowing, even if a little above freezing, they were not out in it.

Mine were quite capable of deciding where they wanted to be so I let them.

 

[3KillerBs]

Sorry to piggyback, but if we expect them to hang out in the coop, should food and water be moved inside? I worry about a water spill...

I am becoming more and more convinced of the value of having a sort of "porch" on a chicken coop -- that is, an area that is covered and partially sheltered from the wind so that the birds don't have to be all the way inside in order to stay dry.

It's a good place for the feed and water if you have an enclosed coop but don't have a covered run.

Yeah, I can hear you guys in Alaska, North Dakota, and Minnesota laughing at us.

I try not to laugh at people worrying about 85-90F heat in the summer and hope that northerners return the courtesy when I'm complaining about how cold I am at 15-20F in the winter.

(I'm sure my birds are fine. I'm the one freezing while attending to them. ).

 

[Janzen]

If your chickens are anything like mine, they will make every excuse to hang out inside.

If it's cold with a wind producing a windchill factor of below freezing, it's best not to expect chickens to be outside.

Yeah, mine are saying “no thanks” to the outdoors today. I propped the door open so they have a choice. No takers on this blustery, frigid day.

 

[AnnPann]

i just went out and put the 3 stubborn hens in the coop with the others, but left the pop door open in case they disagree. i also don’t like to put food and water in the coop, but i’m making an exception today, and gave them soupy mash to avoid having to leave an open water bowl in there that will be spilled (i don’t have electricity to keep it thawed).

 

[azygous]

Here it was fourteen below at sunrise, and five below now. My chickens are all in their enclosed runs with a heat lamp to warm under. They also have an oil heater in the main coop where it's above freezing. About half the flock is hanging out in that coop. If you give chickens a choice, most choose the warmer place.